Huge hair predicts rain showers

This column was written and published before I cut my hair. Even shorter, humidity remains a problem.

I'm considering a career change. I'm thinking about moonlighting as a meteorologist.

Without any training or education, I'm able to predict the weather in Okinawa. Mostly I'm able to predict rain showers with great ease. I simply look in the mirror. My hair predicts the rain in a high rising way. It gets frizzy. Unbelievable frizzy and out of control.

The curlier my hair is in the morning, the more likely I am to grab an umbrella.

Prior to our move to Okinawa, I researched the climate of this southern Japanese island. The newcomer's information posted on Marine Corps Web sites told me to prepare for tropical weather. I should pack shorts and T-shirts for yearround wear.

It also talked about the rainy season. May is suppose to be a rainy month. Last year, it rained every single day during the month of May. I welcomed this climate change by purchasing blue polka dotted rain boats.

This May, the rain was sparse. When I spotted a shower, I would slip on my boats, but by the time I was splashing in a puddle, the rain would suddenly stop. Disappointed and sweaty, I would switch back into my flip flops.

Marines officials also warned that the hot weather of Okinawa during the summer is “no joke,” according to public affairs articles printed last summer. “The temperatures and humidity ... can even be deadly for those who fail to properly hydrate themselves and take precautions to avoid heat injuries.”

Many told me that Okinawa's heat would be unbearable for an American. Walking outside would feel like walking into an oven, they said. I scoffed at them. I have survived two hot beds of the United States: Yuma, Arizona and Wichita Falls, Texas. I'm no stranger to heat and humidity.

Wichita Falls' humidity made the stifling heat of my childhood in Iowa seem like a dream. I remember when my sisters came to visit in July 2003 and they refused to leave my air-conditioned apartment. The humidity of Wichita Falls is no joke. But it's no comparison to the humidity of this island.

In Okinawa, it's hot and humid the entire year. During the three hottest months – June, July and August-- the average humidity is 82 percent and temperatures stick at a steamy 94. The humidity weighs on your chest and you struggle to exercise outdoors. The only relief is to stay indoors and bask in the modern convenience of air conditioning. I also ate a lot of ice cream. Cold, creamy strawberry ice cream can one forget that outside my mouth, my body is feeling the 95 degree heat and 85 percent humidity.

When I'm not eating ice cream I am counting down the days until the coldest month, January arrives. For the New Year, temperatures are expected to stay in the 70s with 70 percent humidity. Locals say that's when you pull out your sweaters and light jackets. Right now I can't imagine wearing sleeves or long pants again. Maybe Okinawa's relentless sun has fried my brain.

I was convinced it would never cool off when out of no where it happened.

I walked from my car to a restaurant Friday night without breaking into a fierce sweat. The sun was still in the sky and a cool breeze wandered through my not-so-frizzy hair. My hair relaxed a bit. The hope rose in my heart.

Maybe we are getting a break in the heat. Maybe my hair will finally settled down for a few months.

Maybe my time as an amateur meteorologist is coming to a close.